Andrew
by mellifluous cloud
Summary: Annie confesses her deepest secret to Fi, but what will happen when she investigates further and discovers things that Annie won't want to know?
1. Chapters 1-3

TITLE: Andrew  
AUTHOR: JackPhillipsGirl  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own So Weird (though it'd be nice to have Jack...). The only characters that are mine are Andrew and Jason. And just on a side note, I have no idea why I've been so nice to Annie lately. I don't even like Annie, and then after writing a fan fic I begin to feel sorry for her. Now THAT is weird. This happens to be one of those stories... And since I'm babbling anyway, for those of you who read my last story (Goozburg), thanks for all the nice reviews. I honestly thought it sucked. And YES, Gooz is Zoog backwards. =) I was actually going to have Annie meet up with Dotcom, Zoogina, Joe, MZ, and the rest of them, but that seemed a little too crazy... or should I? LOL. Okay, on with the new story now! Enjoy!  
  
  
Chapter One  
  
"Whatever happened to your aspirations to live a 'normal' life?" Jack grinned.  
  
"Me? Normal? Jack, do you think that is even _possible?_" Fi asked. She slung her arm around her brother's shoulder. "Come on, you know me better than that."  
  
Jack nodded. "Do I ever. By the way, what kind of magic spell did you cast on Annie before you left? She's been picking up your habits..."  
  
Laughing, Fi replied, "And you thought I was the only one interested in the paranormal?"  
  
Jack didn't say anything for a moment. Then he said, "No. I know you aren't the only one." There was an awkward silence. Jack cracked a small smile to lighten the mood. "I guess it's in your genes."  
  
"Yeah," Fi half-whispered in agreement. "Well, anyway," she added, trying to change the subject, "is there enough room on this bus for me? How excited are you to have me back on the tour?"  
  
"Very," Jack answered quickly.  
  
"Oh, stop it..." Fi teased.  
  
"No, I'm serious!" Jack insisted. "I missed you, Fiona." He paused. "We all did." Fi was too touched to speak. "Hell, I even missed your weird adventures," he continued. Fi smiled. "Without you, there was something missing. Even though I don't show it all the time... I love you, Fi. You're my sister."  
  
Fi threw her other arm around Jack and hugged him. "Sometimes I wonder why I even left in the first place," she admitted.  
  
"Don't ever leave me again, Fi," Jack said softly.  
  
"I won't," Fi promised. "Well," she said, letting go of him, "I guess I better get my stuff settled in my room now." She lifted her bags off the floor.  
  
"All right," Jack said, as Fi turned around and headed towards her room. Quickly, Annie jumped away from the doorway, where she had been listening to their conversation, and brushed away her tears.  
  
  
Chapter Two  
  
"Hey, Annie," Fi greeted her best friend happily as she strolled into the room.  
  
"Fi, you're finally here!" Annie exclaimed, dropping the magazine she had been pretending to read.  
  
"Yes, and here to stay," Fi stated, throwing her bags onto her bed and embracing Annie in a quick hug. "Anything weird to tell me about?" she asked.  
  
"Well, besides being trapped in detention in 1974, meeting the ghost of the school janitor, being put under a voodoo spell, almost having my voice stolen, and baby-sitting a changeling, among numerous other things - nothing weird happened." Both girls laughed.  
  
"Hey, what's this?" Fi asked suddenly. She held up a wooden box that was on Annie's nightstand.  
  
"Oh, that's what I call my lifebox," Annie explained. "It has stuff that remind me of home."  
  
"Cool, can I look?" Fi began to lift the top off.  
  
"NO!" Annie shouted, snatching the box out of her hand. "I mean, um, it's really personal and private. Maybe one of these days I'll share it with you."  
  
Fi was a little taken aback. "Okay then," she said. "Sorry."  
  
"No, it's okay," Annie assured her quickly. "Sorry I freaked out for a second. It's just really important to me." She placed the box on her dresser.  
  
"I understand," Fi replied with a smile.  
  
"Hi girls, we're going to get a bite to eat a couple minutes," Molly informed them, appearing in the doorway.  
  
"Okay, Mom," Fi said. Molly left and Fi turned back to Annie. "It's so cool that we'll be sharing this room now. I can't believe that Ned was able to get an extra bed - and everything actually fits!"  
  
Just then the bus jerked to a stop and everyone got off to eat at the local diner. When they returned at about 11 o'clock, it was noticed that one of the tires had gone flat. "Just my luck," Ned said. "Hold tight, everyone, I've got a spare somewhere around here," he informed the others, climbing into the cab. But when he came back out, Ned shook his head. "I can't find it! I could have sworn we had a spare tire."  
  
"Great," Jack said sadly. "What do we do now?"  
  
Ned sighed. "Fortunately, there's an abandoned lot just a little ways down the road. I'll be able to drive the bus that far without too much trouble. Hopefully we'll be able to fix things in the morning."   
  
Soon enough, the bus was parked in the empty lot. As Fi and Annie climbed into bed, Fi commented, "Well, this was an interesting way for me to begin my return to the tour."  
  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Annie awoke with a start. She looked around, but it was still dark out. A street light shone through the window, dimly lighting the room. "Fi?" Annie whispered.  
  
"You're awake too?" Fi replied. "I thought I heard a noise. I guess you heard it too."  
  
"What time is it?" Annie asked, yawning.  
  
"Around three a.m."  
  
Both girls fell silent, lost in their separate thoughts. "Fi, I have something to confess," Annie blurted suddenly.  
  
"What is it?" Fi inquired.  
  
"It's about my lifebox," Annie said. "There's a reason I didn't want you to see what was in it." She stood up and groped around in the darkness for the wooden box. Taking it in her hands, she walked over to Fi's bed and sat down next to her. She flicked on the light switch to the small lamp on Fi's dresser. "You can't tell anyone about this," Annie said.  
  
"Okay," Fi promised. "What is it?" Annie took a deep breath and lifted the lid off the box. She reached in and pulled out a picture of a boy who was maybe two years old, with blond hair and blue eyes and a smile on his face. "Who's that?" Fi asked, taking the photo from Annie's trembling hands.  
  
Annie gazed at the picture sadly. "My brother."  
  
Fi stared at Annie, shocked. "You have a brother? You never told me that you have a brother."  
  
"I _had_ a brother," Annie corrected her, tears welling up her eyes. Annie blinked and turned away so that Fi wouldn't see. "He died before I was born."  
  
"I'm sorry," Fi said softly. She looked at the photo again. "How did he die?"  
  
"He was hit by a car when he was two and a half. My mom told me that he was out in our front yard one day, playing in the grass. She was watching him from the porch. Then a car came speeding down the street and the driver must have just lost control. It swerved onto our yard and... hit him." Annie started to cry and Fi wrapped her arm around her shoulder.  
  
"What was his name?" she asked.  
  
"Andrew. His name was Andrew."  
  
"Why don't you want anyone to know about him, Annie?" Fi implored curiously.  
  
"I... I don't know," Annie admitted, wiping away her tears. "I just get so upset every time I think about him." She paused. "I think about him all the time. He would be twenty years old now. What kind of relationship would we have had? What kind of brother would he have been? Would he love me... love me like Jack loves you?"  
  
Fi looked away. "I know what it's like to lose someone you know you would have loved, but never had the chance to," she said.  
  
"I know you do," Annie replied wistfully. "It's just so hard..."  
  
Fi looked at the picture of smiling, two-year-old Andrew Thelen one last time. "Yeah," she said. "It is."


	2. Chapters 4-7

Chapter Four  
  
"Well, gang, it looks like we're going to be stuck in this town for a few days," Ned announced the next morning at breakfast.  
  
"What?" Carey asked in disbelief. "Why?"  
  
"Apparently," his father answered, "there's only one gas station in a ten-mile radius of this town, and they have to close down until Wednesday." It was Sunday.  
  
"That's crazy!" Jack exclaimed.  
  
"Well, there's nothing we can do until then," Ned said matter-of-factly.  
  
Carey sighed. "I'm going to see if there's anything to do in this little town. Who's with me?" Jack, Fi, and Annie quickly agreed to go.  
  
"Just be back at the bus by eleven," Irene said.  
  
"Don't worry, Mom," Carey replied. "We will be."  
  
After walking along the road for about ten minutes, they came along a park and decided to check it out. Annie and Fi walked alongside a lake where some people were swimming. "It's so beautiful," Annie commented.  
  
"Yeah," Fi answered absent-mindedly.  
  
"Fi, are you okay?" Annie asked.  
  
"Oh, sure," Fi replied quickly. "I was just thinking, that's all."  
  
"Look, if you want to go hang out with Carey, I don't mind," Annie said with a slight smile.  
  
"You can tell?" Fi asked, blushing.  
  
"Yeah, I can." Annie laughed. "But I don't think he can. You know how boys are."  
  
Fi grinned. "You really won't mind?"  
  
"Go!" Annie almost shouted.  
  
"Okay, okay!" Fi laughed. Annie shook her head and sat down on a bench facing the lake. Leaning back, she closed her eyes, wondering what Andrew would look like if he were still alive.  
  
"Is anyone else sitting here?" a male voice asked. Annie sat up with a start and opened her eyes. Standing before her was the most handsome boy she had ever seen. He had wavy light brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He was probably around seventeen years old, and he was wearing only swim trunks and a towel pulled loosely over his shoulders. He had just been swimming in the lake.  
  
"Umm... uh..." she stuttered. "N-No, no one's sitting here," Annie squeaked, feeling her face redden.  
  
"Thanks," the boy grinned, sitting down next to her. "I've never seen you before. Do you live around here?"  
  
"No, I was just passing through town with some friends. We'll be here a few days," she explained, his kind attitude making her feel more relaxed. "My name's Annie."  
  
"I'm Jason," the boy replied. "This town is so small that you get to know practically everyone. But I'm glad to get to know you, too."  
  
Annie blushed. "So, um... were you swimming all by yourself?"  
  
"Well, I was. Unless you'd like to join me?" Jason suggested.  
  
"I don't have a bathing suit with me," Annie said.  
  
"Do want to go to the arcade, then? There's one on the other side of the park."  
  
"Sure!" Annie agreed. After Jason put on a t-shirt and sandals, they went on their way. Annie was surprised to see that Jack, Carey, and Fi were already there.  
  
At six o'clock, Jason had to go home to have dinner. "I'll be at the lake again tomorrow," he told Annie before leaving. In a few hours, it was time for the Jack, Carey, Fi and Annie to head back to the bus themselves.  
  
"So who's the guy you were with?" Fi asked Annie as they walked along the side of the road.  
  
"His name's Jason," Annie said dreamily. "We just started talking and... everything happened at once. Isn't he gorgeous?"  
  
"I guess I can't deny that," Fi replied. "You really like him, huh?"  
  
Annie nodded, smiling to herself. "I really do."  
  
  
Chapter Five  
  
It was Monday afternoon and Fi was alone in her bedroom, clicking away at her computer. Annie, Jack, and Carey were at the park but she told them she had to stay behind for research. The things Annie had told her about her brother made Fi curious. She wanted to find out more about his death, but she had to do it while Annie wasn't around. Fi knew that if Annie found out about her investigations, it would upset her.  
  
Fi finally found the website she was looking for. It archived newspaper articles from all over the world, some as old as a hundred years. _Andrew Thelen_, Fi typed. _Searching... Please wait,_ a message box blinked on the screen. After a moment, another page loaded. _NO RESULTS FOUND._  
  
"No results found?" Fi read skeptically. "But how is that possible? If he was really killed by a car that lost control, it _had_ to have made the papers." Then Fi had another idea. She went to a website that was an Internet database of every person in the world, and said when that person was born and when he or she died. Again, Fi typed _Andrew Thelen_ and hit the search button. _3 matches found,_ the page read.  
  
Fi scrolled down impatiently. "Let's see... Andrew Thelen, born July 8, 1952. That's definitely not him. Andrew Thelen, born December 23, 1967. That isn't him either. Andrew Thelen, born May 14, 1998.... None of these are him!" Fi sighed and rested her chin in her hand, staring at the names on the screen in front of her. "Now the question is, what am I going to tell Annie?"  
  
"What are you going to tell me about what?" a voice interrupted, nearly causing Fi to leap fifty feet in the air.  
  
"I... um..." Fi stammered, quickly closing the webpage window and signing off the Internet.  
  
Annie didn't seem to notice her nervousness. "Look what Jason won for me at the arcade!" She held up a huge teddy bear, grinning. Then she noticed the look on Fi's face. "Fi, what's wrong?"  
  
"There's no easy way to say this..." Fi began. "Annie, I checked online and your brother never existed."  
  
"_What?_" Annie shouted angrily. "You _checked online?_ My brother is not an object of your paranormal fascination! This is _real_, Fi!"  
  
"Annie, please! I'm only trying to help, I swear," Fi insisted. "Maybe Andrew isn't really his name," she added.  
  
This comment only seemed to make things worse. "Are you suggesting that my parents _lied_ to me?" Annie asked, eyes blazing. "I can't believe you would do this. I told you my deepest secret, Fiona! And now you're trying to tell me that my brother never existed?" She stormed out of the room, furious.  
  
"No, Annie, that's not what I'm trying to tell you!" Fi called out, but the only response was the slamming of the bus door.  
  
  
Chapter Six  
  
It was one a.m. and Annie was already asleep. She still was not speaking to Fi, and Fi knew she had been wrong to want to know more about Annie's brother... whatever his name was. She decided to go online and find something to do to get her mind off her argument with Annie. Fi clicked the InstaGab icon to see if anyone else was online that she could talk to. "Tad Raxall!" she exclaimed happily.  
  
Rockerbaby: Hi Tad!  
  
Tad_Raxall: Hello Fi... how's Molly doing?  
  
Rockerbaby: She's fine. =)  
  
Tad_Raxall: That's good. I want to take some time off and catch a concert of hers, next time she's in town.  
  
Rockerbaby: I bet Mom would love that.  
  
Rockerbaby: And of course you'd have to give me some free programs!  
  
Tad_Raxall: Of course!  
  
Tad_Raxall: =)  
  
Tad_Raxall: Did I tell you that my company partnered up with the Missing Children network?  
  
Rockerbaby: No, you didn't.  
  
Rockerbaby: What do you do exactly?  
  
Tad_Raxall: Well, for the kids that have been missing for a long time, we take their last picture and electronically change it using advanced programs, to show what they'd look like now.  
  
Rockerbaby: Really?  
  
Tad_Raxall: Yes, and it works for anyone! It's pretty accurate too. I scanned in a picture of myself when I was about your age, and had the program see what I'd look like now, and it was pretty close!  
  
Tad_Raxall: Well, except for the long hair thing... I don't know why that happened...  
  
Rockerbaby: So if you wanted to, could you show what a two year old would look like when he's twenty?  
  
Tad_Raxall: Yep. I have, actually.  
  
Rockerbaby: Could you do me a really huge favor?  
  
Tad_Raxall: Well... tell me what it is, first.  
  
Rockerbaby: If I scan a picture of this boy and email it to you, could you email back to me what he'll look like when he's twenty?  
  
Tad_Raxall: I guess so, but why?  
  
Rockerbaby: I'm not exactly in the position to tell you. But it's really important.  
  
Tad_Raxall: Well, sure, but I won't be able to get it back to you until tomorrow. I'm on my PC at home right now, and the program is on my laptop in my office.  
  
Rockerbaby: That isn't a problem.  
  
Rockerbaby: Thanks so much!  
  
Tad_Raxall: You're welcome. =)  
  
Rockerbaby: Goodnight.  
  
Tad_Raxall: Goodnight. Tell Molly that I say hi!  
  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
"Fi, I want to apologize for getting mad at you," Annie said the following morning.  
  
"It's okay," Fi replied. "I'm sorry that I went too far in my curiosity about your brother."  
  
"No, I overreacted!" Annie insisted. "You had every right."  
  
"Well, regardless, I'm glad you're not mad at me anymore," Fi said happily, giving her best friend a hug. "Annie, do you ever wonder what your brother would look like, if he were alive now?" Fi asked.  
  
"Only every day of my life," Annie said sadly. "I wonder if he would look like me at all."  
  
"Last night I was online talking to Tad Raxall - I told you about him, remember? - and he has this program that simulates what a person will look like when they're older."  
  
"Can we send him the photo of Andrew?" Annie asked, her eyes lighting up.  
  
Mentally, Fi let out a sigh of relief. "Actually," she said, "I already did. Last night, while you were asleep, I scanned the photo and emailed him."  
  
Annie felt a pang of anger for a second, but held her tongue. "Did he email you back yet?"  
  
"I don't know," Fi admitted. "Should we go check?"  
  
"Yes!" Annie exclaimed, pulling a chair next to Fi's as they sat in front of her laptop. Fi logged in, impatiently clicking around until she was able to open her inbox.  
  
"He sent it!" she announced excitedly, opening the email. The girls watched with wide eyes as the image of Andrew Thelen slowly appeared.  
  
"He does look like you," Fi breathed. The man on the screen had blond hair, blue eyes, and baby-faced good looks.  
  
"Fi, look at his face," Annie whispered. Her face was pale.  
  
Fi squinted at the photo. "What about his face? He would have been very handsome, I must say..."  
  
Annie flashed Fi a questioning look. "You don't see it?"  
  
"See what?"  
  
Annie looked back at the screen. "It's him, Fi. It's Jason."


	3. Chapters 8-10

Chapter Eight  
  
"Oh my God," Fi murmured as she took a closer look at his face.  
  
"They have the exact same features," Annie said slowly. "_Exactly._ Same eyes, same mouth, same nose... the only difference is the hair color."  
  
"What does this mean?" Fi asked softly, not taking her eyes off the screen.  
  
"I don't know," Annie said, "but I know someone who does." She stood up, found her cell phone, and punched in some numbers.  
  
"Who are you calling?" Fi inquired.  
  
Annie held the phone to her ear. "My mom." There was a pause, and then Annie said, "Hi, Mom? It's me."  
  
"Hi, sweetie!" Lisa answered cheerfully. "Do you realize that it is three in the morning here? What's going on?"  
  
"You lied to me," Annie snapped. "You lied about my brother."  
  
"Andrew?" Lisa asked, confused. "Why would I lie about Andrew? Honey, you know I don't like to talk about this. I've explained his death to you so many times."  
  
"You never told me the truth," Annie accused her. "Mom, what _really_ happened?"  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
Annie sighed, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Why was her mother lying to her about this? What was she hiding? "He never did die, did he, Mom?" Annie choked between sobs.  
  
There was a long pause, and then, "No, he didn't," Lisa said softly.  
  
"Why did you lie to me?" Annie said in a voice just above a whisper.  
  
"I didn't want you to know the truth. Annie, it was for your own protection! I swear it was."  
  
"My whole life, I thought my older brother was dead. Why didn't you just _tell_ me?"  
  
Lisa heaved a shaky sigh. "If I had told you, you'd know what a bad mother I am."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"He was kidnapped, Annie. And it was all my fault, because I just wanted to leave the house for a little while. It was for just twenty minutes, and I thought, 'If I lock the doors, everything will be okay.' But it wasn't..." her voice trailed off.  
  
"He was kidnapped?" Annie repeated.  
  
"We looked for him! You're father and I did everything we could, but we never heard anything. And I was pregnant with you at the time, making matters worse."  
  
"How could you have been pregnant with me?" Annie asked. "You told me you waited three years before you had me."  
  
Again, there was silence on the other end of the line. "I lied about everything. His age, his name... anything that would lead to you finding out the truth," Lisa confessed.  
  
"If his name isn't Andrew, what is it?" Annie demanded. But she already knew the answer.  
  
"Jason. We named him Jason." Annie didn't say anything, so Lisa added, "I just didn't want you to be ashamed of me, Annie."  
  
"It's too late," Annie replied. "I am." She hung up the phone and ran from the room.  
  
"Annie, where are you going?" Fi asked.  
  
Annie stopped and turned around. "To talk to Jason."  
  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
"Jason!" Annie called, running over to the side of the lake.  
  
"Hi, Annie," he greeted her, swimming over.  
  
"I need to talk to you about something," Annie said. "Can you come out?"  
  
"Sure," Jason agreed, wading over until he was on the grass with Annie. "What is it?"  
  
"Dry off and get your sandals," Annie instructed him. Jason quickly obeyed.  
  
"Where are we going?" he asked, as she took his hand in hers.  
  
"There's something you need to see," Annie replied. She led him back to the tour bus and into her bedroom. Fi was still sitting at the computer.  
  
"Did you tell him yet?" she asked.  
  
"Tell me _what?_" Jason demanded impatiently.  
  
"I'll take that as a no," Fi said.  
  
"Jason, do you remember anything about your childhood? I mean, when you were really little, like two or three years old?" Annie asked.  
  
"No, I guess not," Jason responded, wondering what was going on.  
  
Annie took a deep breath. "What you're about to hear is going to sound very confusing, and unbelievable, but just - listen to me. Please," she added. Jason didn't say anything, and Annie took that as her cue to continue. "When you were really young, not much older than two years old, you were kidnapped. Your name is Jason Thelen. The people that you probably think are your parents are really your kidnappers."  
  
Jason sighed. "Okay, is this the result of being out in the sun too long, or are you just doing this because you have a sick sense of humor? Because this is starting to freak me out..." He began to head towards the doorway.  
  
"Jason, no!" Annie shouted, grabbing his arm. "I'm not going to lose you. Not this time."  
  
"Annie, what are you talking about? Not this time? Why are you doing this?"  
  
Annie quickly opening her lifebox and retrieved the photo. "This is my brother. My entire life, I thought he was dead. But then Fi scanned the picture and sent it to her friend, who used an advanced computer program to simulate what he'd look like now. Please, just take a look at what he emailed back to us." Jason eyed the door again and Annie put her hands on his shoulders. "Please," she pleaded.  
  
"Okay," Jason said reluctantly, realizing how important this was to her. Fi opened the email from Tad and Jason gasped as he looked at the picture. "It's me," he murmured. He looked at Annie and pointed to the picture of her brother that she still held in her hands. "That little boy - is me?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," Annie nodded, smiling, as a tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
"You mean that you're my sister?" Jason said.  
  
"Yes," Annie repeated, smiling more broadly. Not knowing what else to do, Jason went with his first instinct, and enveloped Annie in a hug. He held her close to him, swearing to himself that he'd never let go.  
  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
"So you're sure that this is what you want to do?" Molly asked Annie one final time.  
  
"I'm sure," Annie confirmed, smiling at Jason.  
  
"We'll miss you, Annie," Carey said.  
  
"We'll miss you," Jack and Fi echoed.  
  
"I'll take good care of her, Mrs. Phillips," Jason vowed.  
  
"I know you will," Molly said, smiling. She embraced Annie in one final hug, as the others did the same.  
  
Fi was the last to say goodbye. "We'll visit you every month," she told her.  
  
"I know you will," Annie replied.  
  
"And I'll email you every day!" Fi added.  
  
"I'll email you too," Annie said.  
  
"Bye, Annie," Fi said, slowly following the others to the bus. Annie watched wistfully as they climbed in. Fi waved to Annie before ascending the stairs, and Annie waved back. Although her heart ached as she saw the bus drive away, she knew she did the right thing.  
  
"I'm not going to let myself lose you again, Annie," Jason said, squeezing her hand.  
  
"I know you won't," Annie replied. They picked up her bags and carried them into the apartment that Jason had bought for just the two of them.  
  
"You know you can always go back with them, when you want," Jason added.  
  
"I think it'll be a long time before that ever happens," Annie responded, smiling at him. "After wondering about you my whole life, do you really think I'd let you go now? You're my brother, Jason. This is where I belong."  
  


THE END


End file.
